Scene and Heard: Scene's News Blog

RNC Circulates Petition in Support of Uber

Here's a great way to gather a whole bunch of succinct data points from potential voters: Connect your political party to a hip upstart company like Uber.

And that's how the Republican National Committee started its day. An RNC fundraising email slammed into inboxes across the country this morning, touting free market principles and everyone's favorite transit option.

When government is taken out of the equation, businesses can innovate, individuals can create, entrepreneurs can flourish and our economy can thrive.

The emails were joined with a petition to support "innovative companies like Uber — a petition that gathers one's name, email and zip code. The news presents an interesting fundraising angle nationwide. With the RNC's big bash in Cleveland in 2016, look for what should be steadily growing pressure around here to Get Out The Vote among Northeast Ohio's culturally aware, politically curious millennials.

Uber, for its part today, had no idea the RNC petition was hitting the streets and name-dropping its brand. Lane Kasselman, director of Uber's communications arm here in the States, says he and his team were as surprised as anyone.

Kasselman, with a cheery shrug over the phone, admits: "Everyone loves Uber."